Unknown gunmen attack Afghanistan Times daily’s EIC

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Afghanistan Times Daily on Monday announced the newspaper’s editor-in-chief was badly beaten and his car and belongings stolen by a number of unknown gunmen in the capital Kabul

Unidentified armed men, driving a Hilux pick-up stopped Abdul Saboor Sarir, the editor-in-chief of Kabul-based English newspaper in Khwaja Bughra area of the 15th police district of Kabul city around 9pm Sunday night.

Sarir was on his way home from office when came under attack of the armed men who first beaten him and then took his car along with all his belongings including laptop and mobile phone.

“I was on my way when three gunmen stopped me. They hit me with gun. They told my brother that they will kill me if he informed police,” Sarir said. He sustained injuries on his head and was evacuated to hospital for treatment. His health condition was said to be stable.

Police has launched an investigation into the attack. However, it was not the first time Sarir came under attack. He was repeatedly threatened by different groups. Sarir said that he was once faced with a kidnapping attempt about five months ago in the fourth police district of Kabul.

However, the kidnappers managed to flee immediately after a police ranger pick-up suddenly arrived to the area, he said.

Haroon Chakhansori, a spokesman to the president, condemned the attack and said the government, particularly President Ashraf Ghani and security organs’ leaders were committed to protect freedom of expression and defend the journalists’ rights.

He said a procedure to ensure journalists’ security was approved by National Security Council last week. The organs concerned decisively investigate such incidents and needed steps for the protection of journalists would taken in the near future, he said.